Australia's Department of Home Affairs has published a list of seven categories of foreigners who can obtain Australian citizenship without attending a citizenship ceremony or taking the official pledge. The guidance, released on the official immigration portal, applies to those going through the naturalisation process in 2026 and clarifies who is exempt from this compulsory step.
Who Is Exempt from the Citizenship Ceremony?
According to the Australian government, the following people are not required to attend a citizenship ceremony or make the pledge:
- Children under 16 years.
- Those granted Australian citizenship by descent or adoption.
- People resuming their Australian citizenship.
- Those assessed as having a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity.
- People born in Papua before September 16, 1975, to an Australian citizen.
- Those born to a former Australian citizen.
- People who were stateless when born in Australia.
Special Rule for Children Under 16
The government noted a specific rule for children under 16 who are included in a parent or guardian's citizenship application. Such children automatically become citizens at the same moment the primary applicant does, without needing to be present at the ceremony or recite the pledge. However, the government clarified that children under 16 are still welcome to attend and take the pledge voluntarily if they and their families choose to do so.
Requirement for Other Applicants
For all other applicants not covered by the listed exemptions, attending the ceremony and making the Australian citizenship pledge remains a formal requirement before citizenship is formally conferred. In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Australia had announced the minimum score foreigners need to pass the citizenship test. The test is a compulsory step for most people applying for Australian citizenship by conferral, and the government has highlighted the topics applicants should expect in the test.
